In May, Hopefully the Class of 2026 Can Move On
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
It's May, and most seniors are feeling relieved. They've deposited at their top-choice colleges and are hopefully looking ahead to opportunities rather than behind or focusing on waitlists.
That doesn't mean this spring and summer will be smooth sailing. From AI to ED, there have never been so many issues casting a doubt on the system and questioning the transparency of admissions. (See below for Yale's findings.) Let's take a look at some things that AI can't tackle.
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Critical Thinking Gets a Much-Needed Boost
When it comes to the skills students need to build, critical thinking tops the list. As reported in Inside Higher Ed, a UChicago trustee has given $50 million "to support the university’s broader mission of establishing an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and advancing AI." The donor explained: “As artificial intelligence reshapes nearly every field, it’s essential that this work be grounded not just in technical excellence, but in a deep understanding of human judgment, responsibility and purpose.”
Using AI right . . .
In a piece for the Chronicle, Chrysanthos Dellarocas, a Boston U Questrom professor, addressed: "When AI can do everything, what is left to learn? If you follow AI and have seen the word artifact, it will make sense that Dellarocas draws a distinction between artifact production, that is, creating an essay or chart, and artifact reasoning: "deciding what artifact should exist, directing a system toward producing it correctly, and judging whether the result answers the question it was meant to address."
No shock: reasoning will be fundamental to success in college and beyond. According to Dellarocas, that includes framing and critically interpreting problems: "Taken together, these constitute the new core capability our courses need to develop, not as an add-on to existing learning outcomes but as the organizing framework around which courses should be redesigned."
Consider Dellarocas's view on three academic areas:
writing, which needs to consider evidence and draw conclusions accordingly
computer science, which is experiencing the shift from coding to challenging assumptions and algorithms
graphic design, which will change from generating images to relaying the intended messages.
Still, most students don't think their colleges are delivering when comes to AI education. According to Inside Higher Ed, "just 28 percent of seniors say AI has been meaningfully integrated into their academic experience [while] 58 percent believe they will need a deeper understanding of AI to succeed in the workplace."
. . . Not Using AI at All
Recently, the Chronicle reported that humanities majors "see AI use in the classroom as a character test. A marker of how seriously a student takes the labor of thinking." Interviewing students at Yale, UNC Chapel Hill, Pitt and good old Bruno, it found a stigma attached to those who use AI, contrasting that with STEM, where "choosing not to use AI can feel less like a principled stance and more like a self-imposed disadvantage."
. . . But is it Enough for a Degree?
Then there's Sal Khan, famous for his Khan Academy videos, partnership with College Board and Khan Lab School. Now, he's taking on higher ed, partnering with TED (as in TED talk) and ETS (the test maker), calling it the Khan TED Institute. Programming will include "applied AI skill-building in real world context, through AI app/product development, building AI agents, and team-based simulations."Khan believes that for under $10,000, he'll be able to provide a degree that, in three years, will propel students into the workplace. Calling itself a "program under development," the venture will supposedly feature "live engagement with TED speakers and thought leaders" through "real-world training in collaboration, communication and critical thinking.” And you'll never guess who's on its advisory board: Accenture, McKinsey, Bain and Microsoft!Cynicism aside, unCommon Apps can't wait to report back on this to-be-accredited university alternative!
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Eating Well at UMass Amherst
For a hot dinner date, try the dining halls at UMass Amherst. As noted in the WSJ, the university again takes the cake when it comes to campus dining, offering "four dining halls, a full-service restaurant, food trucks and more than 30 cafes and markets." Dining halls, which try to source locally, are also open to the public.When touring campuses, be sure to check out the dining and lounge spots to see how the students are interacting.
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Test-Optional: It Won't Go Away
To report or not report? It comes up in nearly every meeting. Recently, Inside Higher Ed told us that "test-optional applicants don't feel underqualified." We hear both sides of the testing argument from colleges, that is, test scores predict academic success, yet test-optional admissions fuels diversity and opportunity. But that doesn't bring any relief to prospective applicants, parents and counselors who see very high reported midranges fueled by students who reported scores just after 2020.The return to testing made headlines over the last few years, yet they are required only by certain highly selective universities and large public research universities in the South (e.g., U Georgia, U Florida).
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Bucknell: An Agrarian Nation?
Jefferson designed UVA, but he'd be wild about what's growing at Bucknell. That's funding for their farm, renamed the Morrow Fund at Bucknell University thanks to an alumni gift. At the farm, students and faculty at its three colleges conduct research and hold classes. According to bio professor Mark Spiro, the farm's director, "This next stage in the development of the farm will help address local food insecurity, increase year-round academic engagement and allow students to take part in all aspects of food production, from field to plate."
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The Ivy Continues to Grow - Wildly
Recently, Yale revealed the findings about public trust of higher ed. Not only did its report cite high tuition, lack of transparency in admissions and freedom of expression on campus, but it also cited “the tendency to be self-regarding, insular, and unreceptive to legitimate criticism does not engender public trust.” As a result, Yale has called for an attitude shift.For those of you following this blog to find out more about admissions issues, Yale made a point about which we're all aware. With holistic admissions, "the absence of any clear academic standard is difficult to reconcile with a mission built on academic excellence.”
We know about Yale and its seven peers; that's the Ivy League, a sports conference. But how much more categorization to we have to take? Look at the media for more on New Ivies, New Public Ivies and East Coast New Ivies. What about Ivy-Plus? (Are they better than Ivies or Ivies plus others?) Then there are Little Ivies and Southern Ivies. We can’t forget Hidden Ivies, as stated by College Vine (yikes!).
There are consultancies such as Ivy Coach. (As pointed out by Jim Jump, they have a package for parents who want their children to get off waitlists - for $12,500!) What about the camp provider, International Ivy?
It's all marketing! Putting Ivy in lists of good colleges is somebody's judgement based on whatever metrics they choose to generate whatever clicks they need.
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How Many Ways Can You Say Demonstrated Interest?
At WashU, there are now four ways. The reason? It's added an Early Action round to the two rounds of Early Decision and Regular Decision. Now why would a selective institution do this? It's likely a way to not only gage interest but also to invite EA applicants to convert to ED II. States the university known for its academically motivated premeds: "Demonstrated interest matters to us because we know it will help you learn about WashU and whether you can truly see yourself here. It will also allow you to build your best application.”
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Campuses in the Rain
Recently, the Wall Street Journal addressed the effect of weather on college apps, citing research from Amherst College: "Applications dipped 10.1% when a tour was hot and 5.9% when it was cold, relative to moderate temperatures. They also dipped 8.3% when there was precipitation and 4.9% when it was cloudy, compared with sunny days." The article pointed out that there is no research linking weather to enrollment, only applications.A few weekends ago, I was at Vassar during a spring rain and found it invigorating. While I didn't see a quad full of students with frisbees, I observed students studying with friends and going about their business, all very happy - no damper in the visit.
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Parents of seniors: I'm so glad your student's journey is coming to a close. Parents of sophomores and juniors: With all these issues, don't hesitate to set up a spring advisory meeting so we can discuss the effect of these issues on your student's candidacy.
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